Dates are posted, but also Short Track. (And Renni) has new trail! I think this will finally balance out the MTB vs Gravel Hammer Fest. It’s roughed in at this point with the bridge connectors complete. It’s not the final product but is rideable. I plan on completing handwork over the next few weeks to smooth it out and we will be completing a work day to weatherize it the first weekend in January to ensure the top surface has 3-weeks to bed in before racing starts. At this point, please ride it and pack in the surface and start identifying areas that need to hand attention, drains and converts. It add a whole new trail climb and extends one of the downhills but does not otherwise loss any trail. Also, the drop line has been reworked to smooth it and choke down some traffic. 

And if you complain about adding more trail for a mountain bike race....there is a special place for you. 

Also, if you are afraid of parking at Renni Park, feel free to park at the adjacent City Park Development where we have a third official trail head. From that trail head we will be connecting more new trails soon. 

So again please go ride and bed the trail and send me a DM on the parts which need to most attention and work to keep racing consistent with the Short Track Brand. I know I have a lot of work to make it so, but I like challenges.

yeap. When you get to the bottom of the 2019 trail and head back uphill for the first time the old trail crosses a bridge. The bridge is still there but new short track turns left and continues back up the hill. There is a new extended downhill section which joins back to 2019 short track just above the bridge. If you ride, know that i know it still needs a lot of work.

where is the city park trailhead?

If anyone wants pictures and sadness...a semi accurate recap

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Sorry - where are the dates posted?

crap, I need to start riding again

Pearl, you’re still a youth. You can race yourself into shape.

Thought about young-un for the NC natives. Both pearl and I are transplants from the garden state. 

We rode the short track on Sunday but not the new section. It was very soft. Saw Neal out there and he was not wanting to add more length to the trail in order to keep lap times lower to keep the schedule in check.

The National level short track races I've announced have been based on time + number of laps.

Example from Collegiate National Champs:  "Race duration is 20 minutes + 3 laps"

So a slightly longer lap would add a little time to each race, but not much.  If the lap is longer now could always do something like 20 minutes + 2 laps.

The lap distance needs to come out at about a mile.  It works better for pacing. Yes you can adjust the time of the race but when you have a longer track, the kids lap times will throw the schedule off in a big way.  It is a very long day and if a person shows up for a later race and finds out the schedule is 30 min behind they may leave.  Please do not mess with the timing of the race.  This is one of the last mtn bike races in this area and has worked for a very long time.  Please do not mess with the distance, it works.

The racing seems to be the best when the course is very simple and passing is relatively easy.  The roadies should be complaining that it's a little too technical and the MTBers should be complaining about it's too "paved".  Just my opinion of course, but it's a lot more fun to race and watch when it's more balanced.

Spread the word...Sierra Nevada is a great sponsor of the Winter Short Track Series. They are also an official sponsor of the THTB Heckler Garden at A-Line B-Line. Make sure your membership is up to date and active because we will be onsite pouring some sweet "swag" for THTB Members. But don't worry, if you sign up to become a member while at the race you will also be poured some "swag". We will be roping off an official heckle garden to contain the fun. 

Also, rumor has it Jake will also be cooking up some bacon, burger, or maybe even chicken Hand Ups some weeks. 

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You don’t need to ride to heckle

Short track swag has arrived.
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no, but unattended children will be given 2 espresso shots and a free puppy.

Unfit Pearl is > “fit” WearsMyBike

An 'unfit pearl' is a relative term!

Wanted to post here with some feedback I received from a few of our team that were there today.  Many of them are new to racing.  The impression they got from the THTB tent was vulgar music, excessive drinking, and heckling to 'pedal fat dude' to some of the kids.  I wasn't on the course, was in the pit area to attend to wrenching and needs like that.  Did get text messages tonight asking to talk with Neal about it but wanted to post here first.  I think the actions of a few (probably not those who frequent here but are probably known by club members) have hurt the name of the club.  Wanted to share this in hopes that the current uninvolved riders and the next generation of riders will hop on board.  Please give thought to the free flowing beer and vibes put forth by the club.  We at our shop are doing everything possible to further the cause of the club and the sport.  Please consider.  Thank you!

Edit- on a positive note, I think this was the highest attendance of racers to date!  Was super stoked to see so many people out there battling it out!!!  Let's keep it going strong!

Thanks for the perspective. The music wasn't ours and I wasn't really paying attention to it, but I reached out and asked that they do more family-friendly music in the future. Also keep in mind that many people bring beer, and many people on that hill are not Trailblazers. We only brought a handful of six packs for a very long day. I'd echo what Brian said, that it seemed most of the "heckling" was saved for more advanced races or people we knew (except in my case, where I was repeatedly shamed for taking the B-line  ). On the plus side, I had quite a few people come by the tent for good conversation, gave away a bunch of stickers and sold a few tech tees. Nobody has won Shaq-Fu though...

Cool. Just wanted to bring up what some impressions were to me. I got almost no heckling in the single speed category, which was surprising. My post was less about that, as it can’t be controlled by the club but more of a perception about the club from the tent area and handing out of the adult beverages.  One described it to me as feeling like a ‘frat party’. Again, I really wanted to bring it up as what can be perceived, especially by those with kids who seem to be more sensitive than I.

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Heres my lap one, which was as good as it got for me yesterday.

For the next race keep everything the same, just tape "Bike PASA" over the sides of the club tent.   

How about a "hell yeah" to the TTB for dumping a whole lotta volunteer time and club money into a HUGE new bridge, lots of fresh all-weathering of the course, refreshing worn-out features, and all the other effort that went into getting everything ready for 2020?

TTB can't take credit for all the music, beer, and heckling, but they can just keep doing the thankless grunge work getting things prepared for the hundreds of race participants every year.

It's unfortunate that the TTB would get them blame for something based on proximity.  Beer, friendly heckling, loud music (I can remember Lucky Cycles and the boombox years), and fun have been a part of it ever since it started fifteen plus years ago.  At least nobody had smoke bombs... again.

Yes smoke bombs are a bad idea but not as bad as the year some guy brought out the airhorn. I had to let him know that if he blew that horn in my ear one more time I was gong to shove that horn past his ass starting at his mouth. 

I do think it's time for the rubber snakes and the pinata to make a comeback.

I was really happy to hear everyone cheering on my oldest son (age 6 1/2) as he pushed his bike up the A line for 3 laps. He did say later that a lot of people were giving him support and cheering him on in that area which almost brought a tear to my eye. 

ciao
Santana

As a Fat Fifty chugging up the A line in beginners/clydes, the heckling was spot on and well appreciated and also nothing but positive when I went through

I thought about skipping it as the burn set in, but I didn't want to let down the crowd 

Now about those beer hand-ups....

Definitely encourage more for the kids at the tent.  Saw a couple of them come up to spin the wheel but get told that it's almost all beer options.  They looked disappointed.  Stickers with web site address on it would be great and remind them where to look for trail open and close.   

The music has actually gotten a little tamer of the past couple of years, I don't hear the stuff with "bangin' b*tches" and "cappin' m*f'ers" much, but there were some pretty hard lyrics that came through around the time that the kids were lining up.  Saw some wide eyes when they heard it.

Overall, still love the vibe, and let's keep it fun for all.

I usually come through the heckle zone laughing, crying, exhausted, or all 3.

As fellow hecklers we need to remember that the kids are the future of our sport, and we want parents bringing them back.

Parents buy lots of bikes, shoes, shorts and helmets as those kids grow up.  On the flip side, folks probably don't know who the THTB are, or how much effort they put in.  A little dialogue always helps.

I actually had several people cheering me through the A-line, which makes it much harder to be a slacker and pull over, roll-up into a ball, and start crying about how much my legs and lungs hurt.

Great turn out and a fun (painful?) race.  See everyone Sunday as I fight tooth and nail for mid-pack in +50 with the other geriatrics.

watch me have the worst start in the history of starts, followed by me chasing one of the strongest riders in the area... on a gravel bike
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Wondering if anyone got a photo of me riding under the deflating finish line bridge in +50?  I ducked under right about the moment the big inflatable bridge turned into a giant semi-inflated "M".  I know there are some tricky obstacles in short track, but that took the cake!

I'm still struggling with getting passed in the parking lot only to be held up in the woods.   

Regardless, the suffering is real, the racing is fun (when it's over).

The pea gravel in that one section also sketches me out too, I was gonna go out at midnight and rake it or something

Wears my bike wrote on 01/27/20 at 3:10pm:



Week one victim here.  Was never like that before.  Much excite tho.

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AMitchell47 wrote on 01/27/20 at 3:06pm:


That is easy to fix, it's not fun to fix, but it is easy to do.

AMitchell47 wrote on 01/30/20 at 5:56pm:



One brave soul might have tried this back in 2017 when a group of idiots said they'd pay his entry fee to race Super Sport.  He had to start in the back and not interfere with real "racers."  He was doing a great job of making up ground and moving through the pack, but alas, his noble effort was foiled by the authorities when they discovered his ruse.

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pearl wrote on 01/30/20 at 7:31pm:



The rate at which he was moving through the field (after holding back on lap one), I'd say pretty damn well.

santana wrote on 01/31/20 at 2:21am:



This; non WTS and non roadies do not understand the draft advantage he was giving (or could have been giving - I wasn't there) not only super sport but expert riders who drafted off him.

nothing beats when the experts lap you in super sport and you get that KILLER draft... 

one day maybe ill give out that draft.

If enough riders would commit to racing in an Bike class then perhaps one can be created. I would enjoy watching riders sitting upright drinking a beverage while on the gravel road and still doing 25 mph.

ciao
Santana

santana wrote on 02/01/20 at 1:21am:


They would have to wear masks however, since they would all be too embarrassed to be photographically recognized   I mean really... e-bikes on a flat trail?

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Everyone likes seeing people crash, right?

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Ill be out there wed to pull the carpet....

I forgot to ask this last week after  race 2, but during the Master Race a racer smacked a tree on the downhill before the original drop (near the bottom of the creek below A/B line. Broke his front wheel and 90% certain he broke his right colar bone. I never got his name, but does anyone know who he is and how he is doing?

It's official now, Brian Bradley builds dangerous trails with the intent to harm dirt roadies at any cost.

ciao
Santana

Truth..but also fix things for Pearl so he no crash, then he no show. So now I’m going to make harder again.

Wears my bike wrote on 02/10/20 at 1:28am:


Truf!! 

Edit-

He even did a roadie yesterday. Boo!!!

My Strava feed going to be blocked in 3...2...

Who does feel like it Saturday??  What better way to get quicker?  See yas SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!!

It's a year away, but for those that were wondering: I had a quick conversation with Neil yesterday, and he along w/ Start2Finish 100% intend to continue the Winter Short Track series. Also sounded like they might be exploring other mtb events in the future.

How much does the commentary gig pay? I'd be up for it

If they make it longer will it still be short track?  Or medium track?

Talked with Neal today. He did send the results to S2F but was not sure why final results did not get posted. He will reach out and inquire about having S2F post them but cannot give a time line due to the Corona shutdown. 

ciao
Santana

I’ll wait for 2022.